Tapping when?

[Tapping Wolf]

Looking at the long range forecast we going to have plenty of snow and cold up here in northern Indiana...to put off tapping 'till the second week of February...no January tapping for me this year. Which is fine by me, gives me more time to get ready. When do you think you will be tapping?

[bowhunter]

I see the same here in central Ohio. I may tap the first week of February, but that depends on the temperatures.

[Dixie Bee Acres]

I started tapping about a week or so ago, only 16 taps total. But the past two days everything has been frozen and no sap was flowing. I collect in milk jugs, each of my jugs have about an inch and a half of ice in the bottom.

[shane hickey]

Starting Monday its early but it takes month to everything tapped it supposed to be real cold next week I Dont expect any sap till the middle to third week in February.

[Tapping Wolf]

Anyone else in northern IN thinking about tapping this week?

[Valmere Farms]

I was planning to get things going later this week but it looks like this little warm up is short lived up here in the north western part of the state. We'll see if things thaw out anytime soon.

[Indiana-Jones]

Here in the west-central part of the state, I'm planning to tap-in this weekend. This evening I tapped a hard maple that catches some sun and she is running at a good clip, a drip every 3 seconds. I measured sugar content with a cheap refractometer. 2.2 %

I also went down to the bottoms and drilled a hole in a couple of box elder trees. They are still froze, no drips.

Last year we tapped January 20th, so this year we are almost a month later. I guess we see what Mother Nature has in store.

[Tapping Wolf]

I went ahead and tapped a couple dozen, it's suppose to cool down by Sunday, so I'll tap the rest the week after next when it warms up again. It's running at least a good month late if not more than recent years. Or maybe its running normal and we've been spoiled by warmer weather the last couple years :confused:

[TonyL]

I collected nearly 18 gallons from 19 taps this evening, and got 14 gallons last night. Should be boiling this weekend, using the batch method.

[Broglea]

I only got 2 gallons from 10 taps. Still seemed kind of cold at that location.

[kiteflyingeek]

I tapped last Thursday. Put in 65 taps. I had 150 gallons last night that I boiled before the crazy high winds ripped through here tonight.

I plan to put in another 30 or so once the sugar shack is fully complete.

--andrew

[Indiana-Jones]

The one tap that I put in on Tuesday evening has made about 2 gallons total. It is one of the bigger trees that we tap, so I'm a bit confused. We have some warm sunny days, but we have had a record cold winter. I guess I'm learning that it may take more than a couple of warm days to over come a month of below zero temps. You don't want to miss that first big run, but I don't think that I have missed much sap yet.

Next week the weatherman says back to the deep freeze. I think that I will tap next weekend.

The later we get into the season the more I fear that the weather could switch directly from winter to summer, skipping spring.

[The Birdman]

As I set a read post from around the area, I don't fill so bad for not tapping this year.

[Indiana-Jones]

Ah come on Birdman, this season is shaping up to be as much fun as getting your finger slammed in a car door. It's not too late, there is still time!

Is anybody getting any sap?

[TonyL]

Boiled down 45 gallons this afternoon, on the trial run of my fuel oil drum evaporator. I was pleased with it's performance, at between 6-7 gph. pretty standard for a 2 x 3 flat pan.

8839

[feathercast]

I'm up around Peru & the 10 day forecast only shows the highest temp to be 22, with most of the lows in the single digits.

[The Birdman]

Ah come on Birdman, this season is shaping up to be as much fun as getting your finger slammed in a car door. It's not too late, there is still time!

Is anybody getting any sap?
I tapped the first of January one year because forecast looked great, I only made like 3 gallon of syrup before March and 27 gallon in March. With the sub zero temps that seem to never end, I just couldn't get my heart into it this year.

With that said next year I will have to double the tap count next year, to make up for this year. Kind of a lose now but win later. Good luck to all.

[southernharmony]

Was at a friend's house today a few miles from here and one particular maple on a south facing slope was already showing signs of budding out. Pretty unbelievable considering the weeks of sub-freezing temperatures. But last week had 5 days of temperatures 50 degrees or higher and temperatures at night above freezing. I'm almost ready to consider this season a bust. If we can get one good run in the next two weeks I'll reconsider.

SH

[Valmere Farms]

10 day forecast does not have us getting above freezing up here by Lake Michigan. Looks like getting ready to tap the first week of March. Maybe.....???

[The Birdman]

The weather is not looking good for you guy's, where is the global warming when you need it.

[TonyL]

Boiled down another 40 gallons of sap this afternoon. It ran great yesterday and well into last night.

[Indiana-Jones]

I'm heading out to finish tapping. Last weekend we reworked and trapped the 50 trees that we have on tubing. Today I'm leaving work early to put out about 90 bags and buckets. I may try to increase my tap count this year to hedge the possibility of a shorter season.

Good luck to all, I think that we are going to need it.

Chris

[Valmere Farms]

Finally! Some warm weather above freezing. Planning on starting today and have all taps in by Sunday. Now, we'll see how long the season will be. We are about 15 miles south of Lake Michigan and I think this is a record for the most ice coverage on the Great Lakes. If not, it's definitely in the top 5.

[Tapping Wolf]

Finally! Some warm weather above freezing. Planning on starting today and have all taps in by Sunday. Now, we'll see how long the season will be. We are about 15 miles south of Lake Michigan and I think this is a record for the most ice coverage on the Great Lakes. If not, it's definitely in the top 5.

How are things flowing? I put a 45 taps in at my neighbors, here in Wanatah; on their sugar maples and some of them just are barely dripping...I thought today would be better but its not, my reds are ok but don't produce like the sugar maples should....the three week forecast looks iffy, like the nights may start getting above freezing sooner than I'd like.....not sure what's going on...maybe the roots or ground are still frozen and things will get better in a few more days?

[Valmere Farms]

I hooked up about 60 yesterday and all were flowing really well. I'm hoping to put up another 100 this morning and finish on Thursday. I have a vacuum system this year if you want to stop by and see it in action. Let me know.

[ahowes]

If I had to pick a season to miss out, it would be this one! I don't feel so bad that due to business travel I've been unable to tap/boil this year. From ~100 taps last year to only 4 this year. I got 15 gallons or so over the weekend and made about 3 pints of Grade AAAAAA+++ syrup :) I guess if it has to be only a tiny amount of syrup, at least it's good stuff!

[TonyL]

I pulled our taps and gathered the buckets this evening....all done for this season. We ended up with almost six gallons of syrup, twice the amount I was going to make initially.

Very well pleased with how things turned out.

[kiteflyingeek]

I collected about 55 gallons on Saturday (03/15) and attempted to boil it down but found that the sap had turned. As it boiled, it gave off a VERY stinky odor. So, I've stated to pull my spiles too. I had 64 taps and made about 12 gallons. I don't have completely accurate measurements because I don't have it all in jugs yet.